Nigeria’s WAFCON 2026 campaign reaches a decisive stage on Wednesday as the Super Falcons take on Egypt in their final Group C fixture at the Olympic Stadium Rabat.
The two teams arrive at the final round of matches with very different objectives. Nigeria revived their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Zambia after suffering a surprise defeat to Malawi in their opener, while Egypt are still searching for their first points after consecutive losses.
For the Super Falcons, the task is straightforward: secure a result and remain on course for the knockout stages. Egypt, meanwhile, will be hoping to sign off with a strong performance and test one of the continent’s most successful sides.
Nigeria Looking to Keep Title Defence Alive
Nigeria are no strangers to bouncing back from adversity at the WAFCON. The Super Falcons recovered from opening-match defeats at both the 2018 and 2022 editions, going on to win the title in 2018 and reach the semi-finals four years later.
That fighting spirit was evident again against Zambia. Reduced to ten players, Nigeria held firm to claim a vital victory and keep their campaign alive.
The significance of Wednesday’s match extends beyond WAFCON. The four semi-finalists will secure Africa’s automatic places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, and Nigeria are aiming to maintain a record of appearing at every edition of the global tournament since its inception in 1991.
A win over Egypt would guarantee a place in the quarter-finals regardless of the result between Malawi and Zambia. A draw could also be enough if Malawi avoid defeat. Should Zambia edge Malawi by a single goal and Nigeria beat Egypt, all three teams would finish level on six points, with qualification then decided by the head-to-head records among the tied sides.
Egypt Looking to Finish Strong
Egypt are featuring at WAFCON for the first time since 2016 but have endured a difficult return to the continental stage.
Defeats to Zambia and Malawi have left the North Africans at the foot of Group C without a point from two matches. Although qualification remains mathematically possible, Egypt would need a highly unlikely combination of results, including an 11-goal victory over Nigeria and a Malawi win against Zambia.
With the odds stacked heavily against them, the Cleopatras will instead focus on delivering an improved display. A competitive performance against the defending champions would provide encouragement as they continue their development in women’s football.
History Favours Nigeria
The two nations have met only once before at WAFCON, with Nigeria recording a 6-0 victory in their final group-stage match at the 1998 edition.
Nigeria have also enjoyed a strong record against North African opposition, winning six and drawing three of their previous nine WAFCON meetings against teams from the region. The Super Falcons have never lost to a North African side in regulation time and will take confidence from that record heading into Wednesday’s encounter.
MATCH DETAILS
Match: Egypt vs Nigeria
Date: Wednesday, 5 August 2026
Time: 9:00 PM (WAT)
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Rabat
What They Said
Justin Madugu (Nigeria head coach):
“We have gone through all the possible permutations that can get us through, and we know exactly which scenarios will qualify us. We want our fate to remain in our own hands and not depend on anybody else.”
Mohamed Kamal (Egypt head coach):
“Our goal is to show the true face of Egyptian women’s football. We want to prove that we have our place among the great African nations.”
How to Watch
Catch the match live through CAF’s official broadcast partners in different regions around the world. The game will also be streamed in selected territories on CAF TV via YouTube, with coverage available on networks such as DAZN, Sport 5, Sport Italia and Ziggo Sport.
